30 Day Beach Bum (The Ocean is like a box of Chocolates)

The 30-day Beach Bum tour has come to an end.  Back home to reality and Day 1 had me wishing I was back at the Beach.  Why is it when you're gone from home for an extended period of time, the home has a way of reminding you that you can run, but you can't hide from the maintenance requirements of being a homeowner.

The well tank decided to give me such a reminder while we were gone. The pressure relief valve decided to pop off and partially flood the basement.  Fortunately, water was contained to the unfinished side of the basement. I spent half the day yesterday troubleshooting and making repairs. A faulty pressure switch was the culprit causing the system to over pressurize, I shouldn't complain it was the original switch from when we built the house but of course it waited to fail while we were gone.

Thanks to Ryan, the grass did get cut once while we were away for a month, but today I'm sure I pissed off all the local frogs. I sent them running for their life while giving the yard a much-needed manicure.  The flowers and weeds had a heyday while we were gone, except for Carol's Hydrangeas.  Looks like we had some deer visits while we were away, hydrangeas most of been on the menu. In spite of the weeds the garden looks remarkably well for the first week of July.

The kitties managed to survive the month while the cat lady was away!  Thanks to the auto feeder and Rachelle, Ryan, and Lexi for stopping in throughout the month.  Needless to say, the Kitties were happy to see their primary caregiver. Even the neighbor's dog “Buddy” was happy to see us.  

You always know when a dog is happy to see you because they can't control the butt wiggle that's connected to the tail.  Cats?  Not so much, kind of like Oh, your back where's my wet food?

Welcoming Committee

                                                       

Jet has a foot fetish

                                                                         

This past month of Beach Bum training was one for the record books.  We only missed 3 days of Beach time and only 1 missed because of weather.  The thunderstorms held off till late afternoon or overnight, and looks like we got out just in time.  A wetter week in store for Sanibel this week. They had to cancel the 4th of July parade because of inclement weather.

Pic from local weatherman on Sanibel yesterday

                                      

If you read my earlier post “Momma Don't take my Kodachrome Away”  you know Carol lost her Nikon water Camera to the ocean during our third week of the Beach Bum tour. Good

News, the camera beat us back home!  A kind lady “Becca Cranford” from North Carolina found the camera in the surf about 1/2 mile down shore from where we lost it.  She posted it on a local Sanibel Facebook page that we follow, and we were able to connect with her.  

                                                      

It's still not clear if I'll be able to bring it back to life or not. It did light up when we plugged in the charger, but we're going to have to clean out some fine particles of sand to unstick some buttons.  I bet she thought she found a colorful shell when she first spotted it in the surf.  Super nice thing for her to go to the effort to find the owner.  We're sending her a thank-you card and gift card back today.

Qualifying for semi-pro Beach Bum status means dealing with sand and lots of it.

So while I'm working on becoming a semi-pro Beach Bum we decided to bring down some Special guest.  They all contributed to the sand sculpture in the back of truck!  We had a Beach parking permit so we were the primary mode of transportation back and forth to the beach.

Our first week down was just me and my Co-pilot

After 49 years of wedded bliss we have learned a few things.  Things like we don't do the low beach chairs anymore.  Keep your snacks in a zippered bag at the beach. Boogie boards are made for bobbing in the ocean and a girl can't have too many shells.

                         Week 4 Carol finds the mother lode at Blind Pass, “a Girl can't have too Many Shells”

Week #2 The girls from Sports Illustrated 😄

Week #3 Certifying new Beach Angels Adalynn & Riley and a Land shark Lucas along with Ryan & Kristine

Week #4 Rachelle, Don, and Beach Angel Skylar

During Week #4 our special guest surprised their host with a belated Father's Day trip to Top Golf one evening.  I had never been and since Don and I were planning on golfing on Sanibel later in the week it was good to get out and swing the clubs a little.  It's probably been about 4 years since I played.  Highlight of the night was getting the girls to hit some balls too!

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 I really think week #4 Special Guest were trying to leverage themselves for future visits.  They even did a “Beach Dash” a couple of days and delivered hotdogs and hamburgers directly to the beach for hungry Beach Bums in training!  “Beach Dash” could be a new spinoff for Door Dash.  I could tell you a couple of stories about door dash during this Beach Bum tour, but probably best that I keep that discreet.😏IYKYK 

I had noticed in the local island newspapers and on some local Facebook pages more and more people finding Junonia shells.  

Deeper Water Habitat: The Junonia snail lives in deeper waters, typically between 30 and 130 meters deep, miles offshore. This is why their shells are considered rare and why finding them in perfect condition on the beach is a special event. 

I suspect that Hurricane Ian, Milton and Helene have a lot to do with more of these shells being  

found on the island as of late. For me no such luck, but Skylar did find a piece of one.

                                                        Skylar's piece of Junonia

                                          Look close, Beach Bum searching for the elusive Junonia

I met people from all over this country while wading waist deep in the ocean.  It's funny how a Beach Bum with nothing more than a smile in a bucket hat carrying a shell scoop can strike up a conversation with so many people.  It usually starts with the opening line, “You doing any good?”  We didn't concern ourselves with politics or current affairs. People from all parts of the country and different walks of life. All looking in the Ocean's Box of chocolates trying to find that special find.  With every scoop of shells you pull up, you never know what you're going to find.

                                                         

Rob's box of Chocolates

Carol's Box of chocolates 11" deep 

A girl can't have too many shells.  Good thing she doesn't collect diamonds like she collects shells. She does however have a Park Lane addiction.

To all our Special Guest: I hope years from now you'll remember the scavenger hunts, the laughs we had and the times we shared.

To the Sports illustrated group from week 2:  Watch out for your eyelashes when riding in the back of pickup trucks!  Those child locks on the truck doors aren't really made for human trafficking!

To the Beach Angels, land shark in training and Ryan and Kristine in Week #3:  “Wait a minute it says here a Junonia is worth $166!”  Kristine-I straighten that picture back up on the bedroom wall before we left!

To Week #4 Beach Dash crew with Beach Angel Skylar:  Don really does like Mexican food
as long as it comes with Black Cherry Margaritas! Skylar's the reason Top Golf Painted that Red Caution sign on the floor by the golf tee! And Rachelle "Beeeach Plz"

To my co-pilot and selfie partner, “Your hair looks fine”